The Italian restaurant chain has apologized to comedian Ricky Smith.

Olive Garden found itself in hot water after one of the chain’s employees told African-American comedian Ricky Smith that she “doesn’t serve blacks.” According to the New York Daily News, the Italian restaurant chain has issued an apology to Smith and gave him $6,000.

Smith encountered the racist experience while dining at one of their locations in Ohio on Tuesday. According to reports, the waitress told him and his friends that she “didn’t like serving Blacks.” Smith alerted the manager and asked for a new waiter. When the manager refused, he asked them to call the police. An employee at the restaurant allegedly called the cops and told them that Smith sexually harassed someone and was ordering drinks for minors. Police later arrived at the restaurant and removed Smith.

Following the incident, Olive Garden’s VP of Operations called the comedian to apologize and gave him a $1,000 gift card as well as a $5,000 donation to his charity Random Acts of Kindness Everywhere. Smith is putting a positive spin on the negative experience. He will use the gift card to feed families in need. Smith took to Twitter to share the news. “He, on behalf of Olive Garden apologized for what happened to me and my friends yesterday,” he tweeted. “. @olivegarden is making a sizable donation @RAKENow #rake and in addition are giving #RAKE $1,000 in gift cards to host families in need.”

The waitress and the manager have been placed on leave as the company delves deeper into what happened. Smith shared that the two should get their jobs back. “They’re both currently on leave and I pleaded with him not to fire them over this. No need for anyone to lose their job during the holidays,” he tweeted.

Continue reading In Honor Of President’s Day, Here Are Photos That Will Make You Miss Barack Obama

In Honor Of President's Day, Here Are Photos That Will Make You Miss Barack Obama

Today is President's Day and we had to take a moment to honor our favorite president -- Barack Obama.
SEE ALSO: Some No Name, Pitchy R&B Singer Disrespected Keith Sweat And Gets Demolished On Twitter
Obama had many wins while he was president. He brought the Black unemployment rate for African Americans from 16.8 percent, due to the horror of President George W. Bush to 7.8 percent by January 2017. The poverty rate for African Americans fell faster in 2015 than in any year since 1999 -- falling 2.1 percentage points, resulting in 700,000 fewer African Americans in poverty.
Teen pregnancy among Black women was at an historic low with he birth rate per 1,000 African-American teen females fell from 60.4 in 2008 to 34.9 in 2014. Pell Grant funding for HBCU students increased between 2007 and 2014, growing from $523 million to $824 million. Obama banned solitary confinement for juveniles in federal prison in January of 2016, the President of ACLU said about this in 2016, “It’s absolutely huge. We rarely have presidents take notice of prison conditions.” The incarceration rates for Black men and women fell during each year of the Obama Administration and were at their lowest points in over two decades when he left office.
Not to mention, he saved our country from one of the greatest recessions since the Great Depression due to the Republican administration before him -- and now our current president tries to take all the credit.
People are so happy his legacy that the people of Los Angeles were blessed to have President Barack H. Obama Highway as in December. The Mercury News reported, "Two large, green-and-white freeway signs were unveiled Thursday, one on the right shoulder of westbound State Route 134 at the beginning of the 210 Freeway at Fair Oaks Avenue in Pasadena, the other at the eastbound 134 in the vicinity of Route 2 in the city of Los Angeles near Glendale."
The location was chosen because he attended Occidental College in nearby Eagle Rock from 1979-1981 when he lived in Pasadena. State Sen. Anthony Portantino said about the highway, “The president has often mentioned his fond memories of living in Pasadena and attending Occidental College, so it was very appropriate to name the portion of the freeway he traveled after him."
Mercury News confirmed, "No taxpayer dollars were used to build or erect the signs, Bischoff confirmed, adding that the cost of the two signs and labor amounted to about $5,000 and were paid for by private donations."
In honor of President's Day, check out photos of our favorite president.